From south of 16th Avenue on Highway 48, the Markham Bypass diverts through-traffic around the Town of Markham in a southeast direction to Highway 7 and Highway 407 near Reesor Road.

In 2003, York Region began an environmental assessment for the further extension of the Markham Bypass from Hwy 407 southward to Steeles Avenue. Markham and York Region want to build this Bypass extension parallel to the Havelock Rail line to link the Bypass with Hwy 401 via Morningside Avenue in Scarborough.

This Bypass plan and route involves many serious problems, including:

Expensive Rouge Valley, river and railway crossings in several locations;

Subsidizing urban sprawl, leading to more traffic, smog, asthma and health damage;

Increased gridlock as more traffic is funnelled towards over-crowded City streets.

Concerned citizens are asking York Region to conduct a thorough assessment of road, non-road and transit "alternatives to" and "alternative methods" to avoid the above environmental problems and to examine the direct, indirect and cumulative effects of each alternative on:

With our growing smog, asthma and gridlock problems, many people feel that York Region should invest in the twinning of the Havelock Rail Line and additional Go Transit service rather than spending huge amounts of money to bulldoze the Markham Bypass through the Rouge Park.